Third Part of State Capture Report Handed to President Ramaphosa
Acting Chief Justice and Commission Chairperson Judge Raymond Zondo, latest State Capture Report focuses on Bosasa, a company specialising in providing services to government, most notably prison services. The corruption allegations against the company, implicates, among others, Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and former president Jacob Zuma. Acting Chief Justice and Commission Chairperson Judge Raymond Zondo presented the first volume of the report to President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings, Pretoria, on January 4, 2022. The second volume was handed to the Presidency on February 1, 2022 February 2022.
Labour Union Solidarity Wants End to State of Disaster
Labour union Solidarity and the government will square off in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria on April 20, 2022 for the lifting of the state of disaster.
According to the union, there is no reason for the state of disaster to still remain in place. The conditions justifying a state of disaster have fallen away and for this reason it must come to an end, it said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa's state of disaster will be lifted once other measures to regulate and manage the Covid-19 response are finalised.
Broadband Infrastructure of Great Concern to Remote Workers
A growing number of hybrid and remote workers have expressed concern at the country's internet infrastructure. This is according to a recent global report - Broadband Index Research- which was commissioned by networking hardware company Cisco.
The report focused on how households were using the internet and what they believed should be the role of the government in ensuring internet connectivity for the masses - particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was found that nine in 10 respondents, performed their role entirely from home, and 89% of workers, who said their job was hybrid, stated that broadband must dramatically improve if people were to work from anywhere. The report said that the South African government is working on getting 80% of people online by 2024.
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Clover Receives Unions Assurance Against Violence
Dairy firm Clover says it has received a commitment from striking unions to stand against violence at its operations, following the deaths of two security personnel since the strike began on November 22, 2021.
Milco, a subsidiary of the Israeli Central Bottling Company, bought 60% of Clover in 2019 with the approval of the South African government and the Competition Commission.
The firm allegedly wants to retrench workers, move to a 12-hour day six days a week and ignore public holidays. These are some of the concerns raised by over 4,000 employees. While Clover blames striking unions for the violence, the unions have denied their involvement.
President Turns Down Deputy President David Mabuza Request to Move to Luthuli House
Deputy President David Mabuza asked the ANC's top leadership to be relieved of his duties at the Union Buildings, to assist with the running of Luthuli House, the headquarters of the African National Congress.
But his request was rebuffed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his allies, who said it was unnecessary for Mabuza to run the secretary-general's office in the absence of suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule and his deputy, Jessie Duarte, who is ill.
ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile has since been assigned the task, which according to reports, gives him massive powers in the run-up to the ANC's national elective conference in December 2022.
